June 2009

So, I’m trying to learn to draw. Seems like a valuable skill for someone who tries to design things for part of her living. So I thought I’d post a drawing or two here. Nothing like those real artists who post a sketch a day or anything. Just the occasional…whatever. I don’t have a scanner, so forgive my point and shoot pictures. If it’s a really good drawing, I’ll pull out the good camera, how’s that.

Oh, science is fun. I have been craving pretzel bread lately, but had yet to look for a recipe, when, lo, this recipe appeared in my Twittersphere. The former journalist turned blogger-baker had done my work for me, researched recipes, and come up with one of her own she liked better! I had some smoked salt (brought back from Italy for me by John and Michael many moons ago) and the basic ingredients so I went to town.

Here’s the science bit. The pretzel rolls are like bagels, you boil them and then bake them, to give them that chewy exterior. Flour Girl’s recipe has you boil them in water with sugar and baking soda. I suspected, but was unsure, that it was for color (something about acid levels and sugar means browning). My accidental experiment proved the hypothesis. I forgot the baking soda when I boiled the first two rolls. Then added it after they came out, before I boiled the rest. Presto! Parti-colored pretzel rolls.